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And Then There Were Only Four in the World Cup

Wow! Where has the time gone? Three weeks into the World Cup and we already know the final four, Netherlands, Argentina, Germany, and host Brazil. All of them powerhouses and in the top five favorites to win the World Cup, which leaves many not surprised on the outcome so far in this World Cup. One of the favorites, Spain, were eliminated from the World Cup after their first two games which left many fans and viewers absolutely shocked. On Tuesday, Brazil plays Germany in Belo Horizonte, and on Wednesday, it’s Netherlands against Argentina in Sao Paulo. This will be a major showdown between the giants of Europe and South America. For Germany this will be the fourth consecutive time they make the World Cup semi finals. They will be seeking revenge for their Finals loss against Brazil in 2002 and hope to come out winning their fourth World Cup title. This squad knows they will not have a better chance to defeat the Brazilians, giving the circumstances Brazil has to deal with now missing their two star players, Neymar Junior and Thiago Silva.

Before the World Cup many had doubts on the Netherlands who came in ranked No. 15 in the world by FIFA. Yet fans will tell you this did nothing but fuel the country as they went on to beat the World Cup favorite and returning champions, Spain 5-1 their first game with a strong four-goal differential. That being said, it is fair to say their huge statement has been heard world-wide and now no one is overlooking the Flying Dutchmen. But before they can accomplish their goal of winning their first World Cup title, they will have to beat Lionel Messi and the Argentines. Lionel Messi has been the main reason for why Argentina came this far and still has a chance. Although they can depend on Messi’s leading goal scoring ability and his precision passing, Argentina will have to find a way to stop this high-scoring Netherlands offense. It should be interesting to see the best two dribblers this World Cup go head to head, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Netherland’s Arjen Robben. Argentina is eager to win their third World Cup title, but they have yet to be heavily challenged yet as they were playing in a weak Group F. This game should go down to the wire, two great nations fighting for a spot in the finals where all questions will receive their answers this Wednesday as they take on the field at Arena Corinthias in Sao Paolo, Brasil.

As teams get eliminated and return home, their sweat, blood, and tears have not gone unheard. As skillful teams had to leave early, each of these teams returned home with fans covering the streets to welcome them back and to thank their teams for all the joy they brought to their country. Despite these teams being eliminated, they were able to show the bright future that is yet to come. The World Cup does not only show us who are the best now, but also exposes the talents for the future from each team. This World Cup brought to the forefront young unheard brilliant stars like James Rodriguez who was never really recognized globally, and teams like Belgium,a country as small as Massachusetts that was able to produce such an amazing young team. As for the United States, soccer is definitely growing exponentially and our own national league is improving as soccer stars like Kaka and David Villa move to the MLS.